JoJo's bizarre adventure part 10: journey through decade
by alexrusso89
Summary: Set in the Steel ball run timeline Josie Joestar travels across america searching what ever is left of the Joestar clan however not far behind her is Uni Brando Her rival searches for ultimate power however both find that power in their stands who will win this power struggle?
1. Part 9: Special edition

" Muda!"

"AHHHHHH!" Joby Joestar grunted as her back collided with a tree. The battle had been wagering across the small town of Innsmouth for hours. Joby screamed in pain as the figure Joby was battling came into view. The figure was wearing dark yellow version of Jolyne Kujo's pants with a green spider web pattern a yellow mid drift top that revealed her mid section black fingerless gloves a pair of bikes and a green belt with green suspenders that hug from her waist she had long blonde hair.

" Take this!" Joby said with rage causing lightning to crack and strike around the woman, The Woman ranger laughed manically " You think you can stop me Im Uni Brando " She said. "No! I wont let you take that fruit " Joby said and began firing lighting at Uni who countered by summoning her Stand My World and Unleashing a un relenting Muda Muda Muda barrage bringing the mighty Joby Joestar to her knees " Ha thats all you got then you were not worth the hype " Uni said walking away leaving Joby on her knees clutching her ribs.

Uni picked up the item they were fighting over the legendary Devil a fruit said to give who ever eats it the powers of a vampire " Finally true power is mine, you said it cant be done daddy but guess what " Uni said " No!" Joby said suddenly charging forward and colliding with Uni who was in mid bite. Time slowed down for the pair as the fruit glowed and both girls disappeared in a flash.

When the light faded standing where the two girls were was one wearing purple with green spider web patterned pants, a pair of nikes, green belt and suspenders, a purple sleeveless mid drift shirt, black fingerless gloves and blonde hair in pigtails with red and blue highlights on either side. The figure smiled " Joestar and Brando united " the figure said looking herself and groping her breasts " They got bigger i wonder what else" she said letting her hands slide all over her body before gasping as her hands hit her crotch " Enough of that " she said smirking " Time for Uni Brando to have some fun."


	2. Yare yare doki doki

One more time rewind... I'll find another way back here...

The year was 2018 in Innsmouth, Michigan. Things had mostly gone back to normal during autumn. However, even though Chronus had left, she had still affected many people in this town. Many families still waited for their loved ones to return, unaware of their unfortunate demise. Despite the serial killer's end, there are still those who wish to harm the residents of Innsmouth. And now, it is up to Star to protect her town.

"Oh crap! We're gonna be late! Let's go, Jessi !" the girl exclaimed. She had a large red bow in her short orangey-brown hair and wore a rather small unbuttoned blazer. Grabbing Jessi's hand and running to the school.

"Ah! Right!" Jessi said.

As the two ran off to the school, Jessi began to chuckle. "Thats going to be interesting."

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful as well. It wasn't long before the bell for the end of the day rang. With that, Jessi just stared for a moment. Clubs.

Suddenly her eyes met a hand waving in front of her face. She blinked and looked up to see Sayori standing next to her.

"So… you thought about looking at our club? We'll have cupcakes!"

Jessi smiled as she looked at the cheerful girl. "Yeah, I'll come take a look."

She squealed in excitement, hugging her as she now struggled to get out of her seat. Eventually she led her down the hall to the club room. This was the day she sold her soul for a cupcake.

As they walked, Jessi thought about what Melanie said.

Is she a Stand user? She quickly dismissed the thought as they walked into the room.

"Everyone! The new member is here!" Sayori said to the few people presently in the room.

A relatively tall girl with long purple hair greets him, "Welcome to the Literature Club. It's a pleasure meeting you."

Then a short girl with short pink hair huffs, "Seriously? Her? You brought her? Way to kill the atmosphere."

And the girl with the large white bow in her long light-brown hair smiles and says, "Ah, Jessi! What a nice surprise! Welcome to the club!"

Jessi slightly raised an eyebrow at this. How does she know my name?

"What are you looking at?" the pink haired girl began. "If you want to say something, say it."

Now realizing that she had been unintentionally been staring at her, she quickly apologized. She had never seen her before so she assumed that she was a first year.

"This is Natsuki, always full of energy," Sayori began, introducing the club's members. "And this is Yuri, the smartest in the club!"

The purple haired girl turned to try and hide herself with her hair, "D-Don't say things like that…"

"Well, it's nice to meet both of you." Jessi said, smiling.

Sayori suddenly piped up again, "And it sounds like you already know Monika, is that right?"

Before he could respond, the other girl, dubbed as Monika, spoke, "That's right. It's great to see you again, Jessi."

As Monika smiles sweetly, it took her a while to think. "Oh, right! We had the same homeroom last year."

"Come sit down! We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Monika. I'll get the cupcakes-" Sayori said, but was suddenly cut off by Natsuki.

"Hey! I made them, I'll get them!" she yelled.

Yuri then spoke, "Then, how about I make some tea as well?"

Jessi noticed how there were a few desks arranged to form a table while Natsuki went to grab a wrapped tray and Yuri retrieved a tea set from the closet. Jessi sat down by Sayori, smiling to herself, glad that she had decided to come.

Natsuki set the tray down on the table. "Okaaay, are you ready? … Ta-daa!"

The club oohed at the dozen white, fluffy cupcakes decorated to look like little cats. All except for Jessi, who quickly raised her hand over each of her eyes before putting it back down without anyone noticing. She was never completely sure if Uni Brando was gone, so she got a bit paranoid at times whenever she saw something that even slightly resembled her Stand, GamerKat. It was a strange cat plant that Sayori takes care of.

Jessi snapped back into reality when she heard Monika.

"I had no idea you were so good at baking, Natsuki!" she commented.

Natsuki responded, "Ehehe. Well, you know. Just hurry and take one!"

The club members each take one and begin to eat it. Jessi hopes that this cupcake isn't bad because it would be pretty lame if she came all this way to join this club for a mediocre cupcake. She then took a bite.

This is amazing! This was easily the best cupcake I've ever had!

She thought for a moment that this Natsuki girl could be related to Trish, but then she dismissed it when she remembered that Trish was from Italy.

"Wow! This is great! Thanks, Natsuki." She exclaimed before continuing to finish it.

A light blush dusted her face as she said, "W-Why are you thanking me? It's not like I… made them for you or anything."

She blinked. "Uh, I thought that you kinda did. Sayori said that-"

"Well, maybe! But not for, y-you know, you! Dummy…"

Just then Yuri returns to the table with the tea set and lays out cups for everyone.

"How come you have a tea set in the classroom?" Jessi asks.

"Don't worry. The teacher said it was okay. Plus, isn't it a good thing to enjoy a cup of tea while enjoying a good book?" Yuri responds.

Jessi shrugged as Monika piped up, "Don't let yourself get intimidated, Yuri's just trying to impress you."

Yuri looks almost insulted as her face turns bright red. "Eh?! T-That's not… I meant that, you know…"

"No, I understand. While I'm not too familiar with tea and reading, I at least enjoy tea." Jessi responds, not entirely sure what to think about all of this.

Yuri faintly sighs in relief while Monika raises an eyebrow then looks at Jessi. "So, what made you consider the Literature Club?"

Jessi was a bit quiet for a moment then he knew what he should say. "Well... Sayori spoke pretty highly of this club so I thought I'd check it out. Plus, I'm also friends with Josie so I'm sure getting into literature might help me become better friends with her."

Natsuki's mouth was wide open. "Do you mean Josie Joestar? The stand user?!"

"Uh, well… yeah."

Monika smiled. "Well, we'll make sure you feel right at home okay? As president of the Literature Club, it's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!"

The rest of the club went on questioning Jessi about her reading habits and experience. She was a bit surprised when Monika had given them an assignment to write a poem for the next meeting after she had confirmed that she would join the club. On her way out, Monika made her sign an attendance sheet, to confirm that she had joined the club.

However, as she walked home with Sayori, she was suddenly reminded of something Josie said.

'Stand users attract other Stand users.'

Jessi then looked back towards the school.

Could one of the club members be a Stand user?


	3. What the Fck is going on?

While Jessi was at her club meeting, her friend were sitting outside a café nearby St. Gentlemen.

"Man…?" Josie mumbled, eating a sandwich her had bought from there.

The girl with the silver hair looked up from her work. She thought that she would take advantage of this moment to finish her assignments for tomorrow. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Have you noticed anything off about Jessi?"

Melanie blinked and then closed her work book, keeping her pen on the page she was working on so she could go back to it quickly. "Well… not really, other than her joining the Literature Club."

Josie banged her hand on the table. "Exactly! I've known Jessi for a while now and neither of us can stand literature. So why the sudden interest? Stand user."

"W-What?! A Stand user?!" Melanie stammered. "Come on, Josie. You don't really think this could be the work of an enemy Stand, do you?"

"Hey! I know I'm not that smart, but I can tell that something is off about my friend. Why the interest in clubs? And who is this Sayori girl? Why hasn't she even mentioned her before if they are 'childhood friends?' There must be a new Stand user!"

"Joise… We've had a pretty busy summer. I don't think that it would make sense for Jessi to tell about her childhood friend while we were searching for Uni."

Melanie thought back to their summer. She then thought of how dumb and weird it would be if Jessi randomly talked about her childhood friend as she climbed up that guy's pylon. "… Yeah. Well, we still know nothing about her besides being friends with Jessi. That would be suspicious. Wouldn't it?"

"Hmm. I guess. But that does not necessarily mean that there is a new enemy Stand user. Besides… Hey, is that Zeppeli?"

Zeppeli had noticed the manga artist walking by. Kelsey Zeppeli was idly looking around when she spotted Josie sitting down outside the café. She then walked up to them and said, "Ah! Joestar! How are you?" She then looked over at Melanie and nodded. "Skye."

Melanie turned back to her sandwich and took another bite. Josie then thought that Kelsey might be able to help them figure out Jessi.

"Um… Hey, Kelsey?"

"Yes?"

"Have you seen Jessi today? She was acting different somehow."

The manga artist began to smile a little. "Different how?"

"Well she has now brought up his 'childhood friend,' Sayori, and she's suddenly taken interest in joining the Literature Club at school."

Kelsey blinked and then began to laugh. The two sitting down looked at each other and then back at Kelsey. "The Literature Club?! Oh! That's rich! Hahaha!"

Melanie, still facing away, said, "I think it's a Stand user, but I don't think Josie believes me."

"Melanie, that isn't what I-" Josie began, but was suddenly cut off by Kelsey once she regained her composure.

"Oh no, she's right." The two then looked at her. "It was a Stand user, me!"

"W-WHAT?!" the two yelled in confusion.

"B-But… Kelsey… why?" Josie asked in disbelief.

"You… The Hand!" Melanie yelled as her blue and silver Stand appeared behind her.

Kelsey quickly held up her hand to surrender while slowly regaining her composure. "Wait wait wait! It was only fair."

"Only fair?! You tricked one of our friends with your Stand!" She yelled as she sent her Stand forward, its right hand beginning to glow.

"MELANIE! Stop it, please!" Josie screamed at her friend as she brought out her Stand, Fozzy, to hold back The Hand.

Noticing that they were making quite a scene, Kelsey then whispered, "I didn't do anything to harm Jessi. Consider this a mere prank."

"A prank?" Melanie asked, retracting her Stand while Josie did the same.

"Precisely! All I did was make Jessi believe that she was great friends with this random girl. I made her believe the same about her as well. The only thing this might do is get her mixed up in her life. I mean, what's so wrong about making a new friend?"

Melanie huff and crossed her arms, "Well, I don't like it. I just wanted to hang out with my friend."

The other two could clearly tell that she was jealous of Jessi spending time with someone he had never met.

Kelsey then continued where he had left off. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"One of them could be a Stand user," Melanie muttered under her breath.

Meanwhile, Jessi was working on her poem at home.

"Hmm… next word… uh… ah! Crazy!" She exclaimed. She quickly added the final line to her poem. Great! Now it's done! She decided that she would go hang out with her friends, until she looked out the window. After noticing that it was dark outside, she looked over at her clock. 10:14?! Have I really been working that long?!

Jessi then remembered that the club ended about two hours after school did so she now had even less time at home. Plus it did take her a while to finish up.

"Oh well… I hope they like the poem at least," he said as he prepared to get ready for bed.

The next day, Jessi opened her door and jumped back in surprise to see Melanie standing there with a wide grin on her face. "Come on, Jessi! You don't want to be late for school do you?"

Jessi nervously laughed a bit. "Yeah, l-let's go."

They were walking for a bit before either of them spoke. "Melanie," Jessi began. "How come you're ready so early?"

Melanie appeared to take offense to that, but they both knew she was only joking. "What are you talking about? I'm always on time."

The two shared a laugh before they heard a female voice coming up behind them. "Jessi…!"

They both turned around to see Sayori running up to them. She finally caught up to them after they stopped and she looked up at Jessi, out of breath. "How… did… your poem… come along…? Oh. And… who's this?"

"I think it went pretty well, and this is my friend, Melanie." said Jessi.

"Oh, well, hiya!" Sayori said, smiling and waving.

A light blush was dusted across Melanie's face. "Uh… hi…" Man, she's cute.

"Anyway, you both ready for school today?" Jessi asked as she turned around to begin walking to school.

They both turn to walk along with her and say in unison, "Yeah!"

" _I've been through the hard times, I've been on the wrong side, I've been ashamed So many memories you know I'd like to change"_


	4. Better call Josie

The school day went on as normal. By the time it ended, Melanie had asked Jessi if wanted to hang out. She was slightly disappointed when she was reminded that she had go to her club meeting. And with that, the two went their separate ways.

"Yo! I'm here!" Jessi said cheerfully as she entered the classroom.

"Hi again, Jessi!" Monika greeted her. "Glad to see you didn't run away on us. Hahaha!"

"What? Of course not. After all we did yesterday, how could I?"

Yuri quietly piped up, "Thanks for keeping your promise. I hope this isn't too overwhelming of a commitment for you. Making you dive headfirst into literature when you're not accustomed to it…"

"Oh, come on! Like he deserves any slack. Sayori told me that you didn't even think about joining a club this year. I don't know if you plan to come here and hang out, or what… But if you don't take us seriously, then you won't see the end of it," Natsuki said.

"Natsuki, you certainly have a big mouth for someone who keeps their manga collection in the clubroom." Monika chimed in.

Natsuki blushed a bit and began to pout. "Manga is literature!" She then stopped and looked at Jessi. "Hey, didn't you say the other day that you actually KNEW Josie Joestar?"

Jessi scratched the back of her head. "Uh, well, yeah I do know her. How come?"

She suddenly noticed that everyone was looking at her. She then folded her arms and looked away.

"N-Nothing! I was just making sure I heard you right."

Silence hung in the room for a moment as they all processed what just happened.

Jessi decided to break the silence. "So, what are we going to do with our poems again?"

"We'll be sharing our poems later. For now, just have fun guys!" Monika answered her smiling sweetly.

As the group began to disperse, Sayori quickly informed Jessi, "Oh, oh! Yuri brought you something today, you know-"

"W-Wait! Sayori…" said Yuri, embarrassed for being put on the spot like that.

Jessi blinked and looked at Yuri. "Huh? For me…?"

"Um… Not really… It's really nothing."

"What is it?"

"N-Never mind. Sayori made it sound like it's a big deal when it's really not…"

"H-Hey, it doesn't matter. You don't need to worry about it. I wasn't even expecting anything at all. So there's no reason to worry over this too much. I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"… Well, alright… Here."

She reached into her bag and pulls out a book. "I didn't want you to feel left out… So I picked a book that I thought you might enjoy. It's a short read, so it should keep your attention, even if you don't usually read. And we could, you know… discuss it… if you wanted…"

Jessi was pretty surprised. She tought that it was really kind of her to pick out a book she thought he'd like.

"R-Really? Thanks! I'll definitely read this." She enthusiastically took the book.

Yuri sighed in relief. "I look forward to hearing what you think."

Once she went off to go read book, Jessi looked around to see that everyone else was already doing something else. Sayori and Monika were having a conversation at the front of the classroom, and Natsuki was rummaging around in the closet.

Man. It looks like no one wants to be bothered today. What should I do now? Maybe I should read some of the book that Yuri gave me.

Jessi sat down in a desk and pulled out the book. She quickly looked over the cover and read its title.

'The Silver Eyes'

Suddenly the book flipped open to a page where the words were ordered in a way that made it look like a face.

"Jessi!" face in the book yelled.

"W-WHAT?! HOW?! GAMERKAT!" Jessi had stood up from her desk as she activated her Stand ability.

She shook her head before she attacked and looked back at the book again. It was perfectly normal.

The book was still closed and its title read: Kiva: Break the chains. She looked around to see that everyone was looking at her, even Natsuki was peaking her head out of the closet. She silently began to sweat as she retracted GamerKat.

What do they think happened? What should I say? COULD ANY OF THEM SEE GAMERKAT?!

After a few seconds of silence, she rubbed the back of her head and said, "Uh, sorry about that. I thought I saw a spider."

Natsuki quickly popped back into the closet, Sayori went back to her conversation, but Yuri and Monika's gazes lingered for a moment before going back to what they were doing.

She gulped. Were those two able to see it? And if they could, what Stand abilities do they have?

Jessi looked back at the book again to see that it was still closed. Could one of their Stand abilities have caused that?

She looked around again, only to see that everyone was doing their own thing again.

Maybe I should get to know each one of them and figure out who it could be.

She decided to start with Natsuki since she was the first to look away from her,possibly to eliminate any suspicion.

As Jessi approaches the closet she hears and exasperated sigh.

Once she sees her, she says, "You need some help looking for something?"

Natsuki responded without turning around, "Freaking Monika… She never puts my stuff back in the right spot."

Jessi notices that she is sorting out a bunch of manga. She then looks over her shoulder at Jessi and asks, "You read manga, right?"

"Uh… sometimes. I haven't read that much manga. It's more Melanie's thing."

She raised an eyebrow upon hearing that name. She had never heard of her before, but she just brushed it off believing that this 'Melanie' is one of Jessi's friends.

"Earlier you asked about Josie," Jessi began. "Was there anything you wanted to know specifically?"

She blushed slightly and turned back around to continue sorting out the manga. "I was just wondering if maybe you would help me… m-meet her or something like that."

Jessi smiled to see that someone who acted so stubborn would think about doing something nice. Her smile fell once she noticed something on the back of her neck. It looked like a bruise or something, just peeking out from behind her collar.

What's that? Could this be from the arrow?

She decided that she showed no hostility gently touched her neck, healing her bruise. Natsuki suddenly straightened up and put her hand do her chest. She then turned around to look Jessi in the eye.

Jessi nervously asked, "Uh… Are you feeling okay?"

After a second Natsuki looked down at the floor and took a deep breath. "Y-Yes actually. I've never felt better..."

Jessi sighed in relief as she turned back around, Jessi then noticed a lone manga volume in a shelf high up. She picked it up and she then looked at it.

"There it is!" Natsuki exclaimed as she snatched it out of Jessi's hands. She then puts it into a box of manga. "Aah, much better! Seeing a box set with one book missing is probably the most irritating sights in the world."

Despite not being that into literature in general, Jessi completely agreed. Intrigued as to what was in the box, she look in and read the title.

"Parfait Girls…?" She had never heard of this before so she didn't know what to think.

Natsuki pointed at the door and said, "If you're gonna judge, you can do it through the glass on that door."

She began to chuckle a bit. "That was pretty good… But I wasn't judging anything."

"Well, I've got a lesson for you straight from the Literature Club: Don't judge a book by its cover!" She then pulled out the first volume of Parfait Girls. "I'm going to show you exactly why!"

Natsuki shoved the book into Jessi's hands.

Ah… Dang it. I was planning on going to see Yuri now to see if she is a Stand user. Natsuki is obviously not"mWell, I guess I can't leave her hanging. Plus what's wrong with making a new friend?

Jessi looked at the cover to see several girls striking feminine anime poses.

Natsuki then spoke up, "Don't just stand there!"

She then grabbed Jessi's arm to pull him out of the closet. As she did this, she noticed just how small she was compared to her. She might even say he was about half a meter taller than her. Natsuki then takes a seat against the wall, beneath the windowsills. She pats the ground next to her to tell Jessi to sit with her. She sat down with her, still towering over her.

"Alright…" Jessi sighed as she opened the book.

She begins to read with him. "Wow, how long has it been since I read the beginning…?"

They began to read for a bit. Jessi wasn't really paying much attention because nothing had really happened yet. It seems like it was just about a bunch of friends in high school. It reminded her of Josie and Melanie. She was disappointed that she wasn't able to hang out with them yesterday. Since he sdidn't have that many assignments due tomorrow she decided that she would go spend some time with them.

"Hey, are you even paying attention?" Natsuki asked frustratingly.

"Wha- uh… yeah. But… is there ever going to be a plot?"

Natsuki then talked about some of the events that would happen later in the story. They continued to read on for a few minutes. Reading through a few chapters, they occasionally spoke about their situation of her having to basically watch Jessi read. As she read, she noticed that there was a lot of cooking in this manga. She assumed that she might have taken her interest in cooking from reading this.

Maybe I should introduce her to Trish. I might as well bring Josie while I'm at it since she was so eager about meeting her.

The thought about seeing Trish helping Natsuki learn new things to cook made her smile.

"Okay, everyone!" Monika began, addressing the club. "Are you all ready with today's poems?"

Natsuki spoke up, "Oh come on! Could your timing be any worse?"

"Sorry! I just need to make sure we have enough time. Though you do look pretty cozy over there. Ahaha!"

"Eh-?!" Natsuki blushed, noticing that the whole club was looking at her. "A-ah!" She then noticed how close she had gotten to Jessi and quickly slid herself away.

Jessi blinked. "Uh… I guess we'll stop here for now." She then closes the book and hands it to Natsuki.

"You're just giving it back? Don't you want to know what happens?"

"Uh… well, Monika said that-"

"Don't be dumb. Just take it home with you."

"Woah, really? A-Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You can finish this one so we can start the next one by tomorrow."

"By tomorrow…?" Jessi looks a bit nervous because she can't think of when she would have time to read this if she hung out with her friends. "Well… okay." She then got up to put the book in her bag.

Monika then approached her. "By the way, did you remember to write a poem last night?"

Jessi smiled. "Yeah, I did! I really liked the way it turned out. Want to see?"

Monika smiled sweetly. "Sure!"

They exchanged poems. Jessi was pretty proud of her poem and Monika could see why.

"W-Wow, Jessi! That was pretty good for someone with little literary experience." Monika stated, impressed.

Jessi was still reading her poem, but when she was done she looked up at her and smiled. "Thanks, Monika! I liked yours too."

She giggled. "Thanks. Hey, are you feeling okay? You gave me quite a scare earlier. You looked like you had seen a ghost."

"Ah… well I guess I had just learned that I'm more afraid of spiders than I thought." Jessi laughed nervously.

"I just wanted to point out something about your poem. Your writing style is a bit all over the place. I suggest that you should listen to the others and ask for their advice on the matter."

"Oh, really? Thanks, I guess."

"Anyway, here's Monika's Writing Tip of the Day! Sometimes when you're writing a poem – or a story – your brain gets too fixated on a specific point… if you try so hard to make it perfect, then you'll never make any progress. Just force yourself to get something down on the paper, and tidy it up later! Another way to think about it is this. If you keep your pen in the same spot for too long, you'll just get a big dark puddle of ink. So just move your hand, and go with the flow! That's my advice for today! Thanks for listening."

"Well, thanks! I know I'll be busy with my new pen. Thanks for the advice!"

Jessi eventually went around exchanging poems with the rest of the club members. She had taken in each of their criticisms about her poem and listening to some of their ideas for her future poems. She then thought about more important matters.

This club… there's something off. I'm sure this is no coincidence. Stand users attract other Stand users. That must mean at least one of them is a Stand user, or maybe they all are! But I've got to play this safe. Not randomly bringing out GamerKat again... I don't know if I can cross out Natsuki. Either she isn't a Stand user or she is EXTREMELY good at acting. Ah… I'm probably just over reacting. She's probably fine. Although, I should probably spend some time with Yuri and Monika. There's no reason to rush. Sayori is fine, I've known her my whole life, right?

As she was lost in thought, she overheard Natsuki and Yuri begin to argue.

"Maybe you're just jealous that Jessi appreciates my advice more than he appreciates yours." Yuri said.

"Huh! And how do you know she didn't appreciate my advice more?" Natsuki quipped. "Are you that full of yourself?"

"I…! No… If I was full of myself, I would deliberately go out of my way to make everything I do overly cutesy!"

"Uuuuuuu…!"

"Um… is everyone okay?" Sayori asked.

"Well you know what?!" Natsuki yelled. "I wasn't the one whose boobs magically grew a size bigger as soon as Jessi started showing up!"

Jessi's eyes widened. D-did that happen? I hadn't noticed…

"N-Natsuki!" Yuri gasped, embarrassed beyond belief.

Monika tried to step in. "Um, Natsuki that's a little-"

"This doesn't involve you!" both Natsuki and Yuri yelled at her.

"I-I don't like fighting guys…!" Sayori whispered.

They then suddenly turn towards Jessi.

"Jessi…!" Yuri began. "She-She's just trying to make me look bad…!"

"That's not true! She started it! If she could get over herself and learn to appreciate that simple writing is more effective, then this wouldn't have happened in the first place! What's the point in making your poems all convoluted for no reason? The meaning should jump out at the reader, not force them to figure it out. Help me explain that to her, Jessi!" said Natsuki.

"W-wait! There's a reason we have so many deep and expressive words in our language! It's the only way to convey complex feelings and meaning the most effectively. Avoiding them is not only unnecessarily limiting yourself… it's also a waste. You understand that, right, Jessi?"

Jessi was speechless. "Um…"

"Well?!" they both ask simultaneously.

Oh, great. How did I get into this mess in the first place? Dang, I wish I had Star Platinum to get out of this.

Jessi sighed. "Look, I liked both of your poems. But the thing is, I barely know a thing about literature. Besides, you both have completely different writing styles. How can I say which one is better? It's like asking: which is better, a spoon or a car? There's no comparison."

They both looked at the floor then glanced at each other.

"Also, insulting each other does not help your cases," she added.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable situations, the two apologize to each other.

Monika then speaks up to the whole club. "Well, now that we're past that, everyone's read each other's poems, right? I hope that was worthwhile for everyone! Especially you, Jessi! And to be honest, it's a nice change of pace from the lazing around we got a little too used to."

"So, I guess me joining the club kinda ruined the atmosphere…" said Jessi.

"No, not at all!" Monika stated, almost hurt by what she said. "Well, anyway, let's do the same thing tomorrow. I think that we all learned a lot by sharing poems."

Great. Another poem. Well, this should be fine. I guess I'll be staying up late.

"Jessi!" Sayori began. "Ready to walk home?"

"Y-Yeah, right. Let's go." She responded.

And so they left. However, Jessi glanced back at the school and clubroom to make sure that nothing was off.

"Sayori, that thing between Yuri and Natsuki, does that happen often?" Jessi asked as they were already in their neighborhood.

"Uh, not really. No. That's honestly the first time I've seen them fight like that. I promise you they're both wonderful people. You don't… You don't hate them, do you?" she asked him, lowering her demeanor.

"What? Hate them? I've only just met them. It's not like they're-… evil or anything…"

"Heh, right. You know, I'm glad that I get to spend time with you in the club, but I think seeing you get along with everyone is what makes me the happiest. And I think everyone really likes you, too!"

"Ah… well, I guess we'll see what will happen in the future, Sayori."

I had a lot of fun today. But I can't forget about Josie and Melanie again! Once I take her home, I'll go see them. Plus, I should tell them what I saw.


	5. A club member is a Stand user?

Running down the street to see her friends, Jessi had just left Sayori after dropping her off at her home. As she ran she passed by a large odd-looking stone.

"Hey, Angelo!" She said as she ran past it.

A muffled scream could be heard as Jessi ran past it. After a few minutes, she had finally reached the café where her friends were sitting.

She greeted them as she approached, "Hey! Josie! Melanie!"

"Hey, Jessi!" said Josie. "See, Melanie, she did show up."

Melanie smiled brightly. "Y-Yeah! Well… I didn't doubt it for a second."

Jessi slowed her pace as she finally took a seat at their table, breathing heavily.

"Sorry I was late. I was walking home with Sayori."

Melanie grumbled, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "You know, you could have… brought her with you… or something…"

Josie and Jessi smiled, understanding what she meant.

"So, how was your club meeting?" Josie asked.

"It was fun! We got to share poems that we had written yesterday. You guys want to see?"

"Sure!"

Jessi took out her poem and handed it to Josie. Once she had read it over, she handed it to Melanie.

"That was pretty good!" Josie said. "It was about Crazy Diamond right?"

"Yeah. I thought that writing about stands would be easy for me and the others would think that it's all metaphorical and stuff." Jessi stated.

Meanwhile, Melanie was now holding the poem sideways and squinting. "I don't get it," she said handing it back to Jessi. "I guess it's a good thing I didn't join your club."

"It's fine, Melanie," said Jessi reassuringly.

"So, who else is in the club?" Josie asked.

"Well, there's Sayori, then there's Yuri, and I think that Natsuki is a first year, and of course there's the club president, Monika."

"Monika? Isn't she really popular? It thought she was part of the Debate Club."

"Well, she told me that she wasn't fond of all the politics surrounding the major clubs. I guess she was just inspired to start her own club." After talking about the club, Jessi remembered what she had wanted to talk to them about. "Also, guys, something strange happened in the club."

"Huh? Strange how?" Josie asked. Melanie raised an eyebrow.

"Well, there were some pretty normal things that happened, like Natsuki loaned me a manga volume."

"What manga?"

"Parfait Girls. Do you know if it's any good?"

Josie cringed slightly. "W-Well… I don't really know much, but it's more targeted towards girls, but I know that there isn't really anything important that happens."

Jessi sighed, "Ah well. Anyway, before that, Yuri gave me a book."

"What's strange about all this? This just sounds like these people are being nice to you. What book is it anyway?" Melanie piped up.

"It's A Portrait of Markov, but-… You okay?"

Melanie gritted her teeth. "That's a really creepy book. I haven't read many books, but that book is one of the few I have, and it is REALLY weird."

Jessi began to sweat nervously. "Ah… But that wasn't the strange part. The strange part was when I first looked at it, the cover said Enigma."

Josie eyes widened as he straightened up. "R-really?! You mean like the Stand?!"

"Yeah, and then the pages opened up by itself and he called my name. But when I looked at it again the book was back to normal."

"STAND USER!" Melanie yelled, banging the table and startling her friends. "I knew it! This whole thing had seemed suspicious. I mean, I know that Kelsey did play a part in it but-"

"Wait, Melanie," Jessi began. "What do you mean you know Kelsey played a part in it?"

"Uh…" Melanie didn't really know what to do. She didn't know how Jessi would react after learning that she was messed with.

Josie sighed, "Jessi, Kelsey told us that she had used her Hamon on you to make you believe that Sayori is your childhood friend. We only found out yesterday."

"W-WHAT?! Did she really do that? What for and- wait. You're telling me that Sayori and I aren't childhood friends?" Jessi asked with a hint of sadness.

"Well, you had never mentioned her before yesterday. We were told that she just picked some random girl to get you involved in her life. She said it was revenge ."

"I can understand getting revenge, but that's too messed up! What about her? What if I tell her that I was never friends with her before? This is just… Gah!"

"I'm sorry, Jessi. But I don't think you've ever even spoken with her before Kelsey did what she did."

"Are you going to quit the club?" Melanie asked, sounding hopeful.

"… No. I might know that we're not childhood friends, but she probably doesn't. It would be really messed up to just stop showing up or hanging out with them. Plus, I've become good friends with them. There's no reason to stop just because I wasn't friends with them as kids."

"… I'm sorry too, Jessi. But was there anything else strange that happened?"

Jessi sat in silence, elbows on the table and her hands in her hair, messing it up slightly. After a few seconds, she wiped his eyes and sat up. "Y-Yeah. When the book opened and said my name, I brought out GamerKat and the whole club was looking at me." Her friends looked inquisitively at her. "I played it off like I had seen a spider, but I don't know if any of them could see it. Before they went back to what they were doing, Yuri and Monika were looking at me the longest."

"Maybe they're both Stand users. Or maybe the others are and they're just trying to hide it." Melanie said.

"I don't think Sayori is a Stand user, because she might have noticed Kelsey using Hamon on her. Natsuki might be she has a bruise on the back of her neck. Josie looked concerned. "If she isn't a Stand user and she wasn't hit by the arrow, how did she get that bruise?"

Jessi thought about this for a moment. "I… I don't know. I didn't think about it being anything other than the arrow at the time. I had only just noticed her bruise a minute after I freaked out and activated my Stand."

"So, the ones who could be Stand users are Yuri and Monika." Melanie said, figuring out all of what Jessi had just said.

"Yeah…" Jessi began. "I'll try to spend some time with each of them and get to know them better. Once I've done that, I'll probably be able to determine if they are Stand users or not."

"That sounds good, if you need any help while you're in the club, just call us." Josie said.

"Yeah. We can just hang out here until your club is over plus you have the festival this week. This café is pretty close to school." Melanie added.

Jessi smiled. "Thanks guys. You're the best."

They all smiled at that and decided that they should be getting home since it was late.

Alright. I need to come up with a plan for how I'll do this. But first I need to write another poem.


	6. Yare Yare what the F

How was it her fault? How could any of this be her fault? All she had wanted was for Komashida to stop raping her. Instead, she had been the one arrested. She had been the one tried and found guilty.

"I'll sue! Fucking bitch, I'll sue!"

The drunkard's words still rang in her ears. Josie Jessikah 'Jessi' Jostar curled on her futon Koromaru by her side. Why? Why had the man won? She was the one guilty!

Outside her room, her parents still argued. She could hear their voice.

"Akihiko, she just tried to do what's right! You can't blame her for that! Look, you know it wasn't even a trial –"

"I don't care,Koton! Your bitch got us in trouble! Now, we're the talk of the town as the parents of a criminal!"

"My bitch, Akihiko? Josie is as much your child as she is mine, and Komashida raped her that asshole!"

"She is your bitch! Kotone! If you hadn't instilled all those stupid notions in her head, she would have left avoided that mess! In the meantime, rumors are going about us!"

Koton growled.

"Right, I am the one who instilled those so-called notions. Well, sorry for believing in complicity by inaction! I am proud of what she did! Josie is my daughter. What happened to her isn't fair. I will not change my mind on the matter."

Akihiko sighed.

"Fine. Keep being so bloody stubborn. But I want her out of my face or I'll fill for divorce. I am your husband, Koton. The only reason I agreed to adopt the spawn of yours."

"Keep using this tone about Josie and I might just take on your offer. Also, don't forget this house is mine."

"No wonder you got the manners of a bear, then. I called an old friend of mine, Sae Niijima, she is a lawyer in Chicago. She agreed to house your daughter until the end of her probation again. I also got her re-enrolled at Shujin Academy. Koton, for the sake of both of you, I hope your wildling of a bitch learns how to behave."

There was a long moment of silence, then the sound of nails scratching the wall echoed. This was Koton. Ahe often did it when she was frustrated. Eventually, the door of Josie's room opened. The teen looked at her mother. Koton was as slender as always. Her face was square, her eyes bright brownand her hairs deep red and kept in a buzz cut for practical purpose.

"…I heard everything." Josie said.

"I know. You got keen senses, one of the few things you take from me."

She knelt next to her daughter.

"You heard your father. You're going to Chicago again next April. This is going to be a big change. Inaba isn't exactly a small town, i know you just got use to being home im sorry this happened to you again."

"I'm scared." Josie whined.

"I know. Me too. I trust you. You're a grown girl, and very brave at that. I don't regret what you did that night. I just regret how justice is so often thrown in the gutter these days."

"There's no justice anymore. Otherwise, Komashida would have been tried instead of me."

Koton held her daughter tight.

"You don't say…"


	7. It was me Uni!

It is the sunlight that wakes her. Her eyes snap open and the dim remains of a headache fade from her skull. Did She doze off? She doesn't remember being tired. The trip to Chicago hadn't been a long one. She reaches up to rub her eyes.

The subway car continues to rattle along, and the brief glimpse of day vanishes as they race back underground.

"A mental shutdown?" Two schoolgirls stand by the train car's door, arms wrapped around handrails, heads dipped together in conversation.

"Mmmhmm," the second girl says. "I heard about it online. Apparently the guy's brain just went 'splat' or something and he drove the bus right into a store."

"Geez, that's scary."

"That's not all, I heard the same thing happened to that subway engineer who crashed that train last week."

The first girl frowns, "But, can that really happen to someone? I mean, I know there's that aneurism thing that kills you instantly, or something, but it doesn't make you act crazy, right?"

The second replies with a shrug and a giggle. "Who knows? Maybe there's some kind of gas in the subway tunnels that made him go crazy."

"Don't say that when we're on the subway!"

Josie's attention drifts away. They weren't talking about anything, not really. Just rumors and nonsense. She doesn't need to pay attention. She doesn't need to care. She keeps her eyes on the floor for the rest of the trip.

The train reaches a subsidiary station just south of Arlington Heights, and Josie steps off and mixes with the people on the platform. Hsr shoulders slump forward, her hands are shoved deep in her pockets of her All Might hoodie, her eyes are fixed on the ground. She walks. She occasionally checks the GPS on her phone. She says nothing. She looks at nothing. She tries to think nothing.

She walks.

The sheer amount of people in Chicago doesnt bother her. She is not from a small town - it's only an hour's ride north - but never has she been to a place so congested. Hundreds of pedestrians slide past her on the sidewalk. Their eyes look everywhere but at her. She is fine with this.

A moment is all she allows herself to marvel when she reaches Arlington Hieghts. The mass of people, when looked at in a certain way, seems like its own entity, a creature of a million limbs spiraling out and snaking its way through the streets and alleys. A thing with a mind, a consciousness, of its own. It is a daunting thought.

Her cellphone beeps. She is young and therefore trained to look at every notification as soon as one appears. Josie sees what she first mistakes to be a red error message. When she brings the phone closer to her face, she sees that a small red square, not unlike an app icon, has appeared on her phone. It suddenly grows in size until it takes up half the screen. The picture is of a menacing eye, with a black star centered in a carmine iris.

Josie has seen enough nonsense online that this should not bother her, but it unsettles her nonetheless. She presses her thumb to it, intending to drag it to her phone's trash.

Everything stops.

Everything.

Josie looks up and around. All the people, all the cars, even the clouds above are frozen in standstill. Nothing moves and nothing makes a sound.

Except, that isn't quite true. Across the intersection, mixed within the throng of frozen people, crackles a pillar of blue flame.

What the hell is that? What's happening? Josie takes a step away, and the flames grow. As her panic rises, the fire twists itself into a humanoid form.

A rush of heat spreads over Josie's face, and two burning wings rip themselves from the figure's back, arch and flourish.

"IT IS I." The words pulse through her like a heartbeat and a warmth spreads through her chest. She lets out the breath she's been holding, and settles. She regards the figure with calm eyes. The corners of her mouth twitch upward.

In a single, brief moment, the flames break to reveal a clear image of Uni Brando's face. The grin this woman wears is wide and sinister; the smile of a maniac. Her eyes are bright gold and wild.

Then the image is gone. Josie blinks. Sound has returned in a mad wave and the people - frozen not a moment ago - move as if they'd been uninterrupted.

"Hey kid, keep it moving!" Josie turns and finds Bakugo scowling at her . "Get the fuck out of my way." Bakugo shakes his head in disgust. "Go fuck off already."

Sane again, Josie continues to the station, her posture stooped, her eyes on the ground. She does her best to look as uninteresting and innocent as possible.

She took the subway and headed to Arlington Heights. Niijima's apartment , was a hole in the wall in the backstreets of the district. The woman was working on he case of the recent string of accidents that had recently befallen Chicago. To Josie's disappointment, Sae didn't seem to care.

"Apathetic. This seems to be the norm in this town. People only care about their own business, and they expect me to do the same. I want to call them out on it… but what can I do? I am powerless."

Josie balled her fists, forcing back the bile in her throat. Sae turned to her.

"So, you're the kid, huh?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Niijima-san." Josie bowed.

As much as she hated her behavior, the lawyer would be her caretaker. She had to show respect.

"Well at least you got manners. Your father described you as sort of unruly."

"My father has bias regarding my mother's education. I can guarantee I am perfectly well-behaved when I need to."

"Good. Not that I care. How your parents raised you isn't my business. I'll just say it once: cause trouble and I'll kick you out."

"Noted. I'll keep my head low."

"You better. I heard this is how you ended in this mess. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured and sued you. You got a criminal record, got expelled from your high school, the court ordered you to transfer and move out of there, which your parents agreed. They got rid of you. What you get for putting your nose in other's business…"

Josie bristled.

"Niijima-san, with all due respect, you can say whatever you want about my father but do not insult my mother. She was my sole support during the whole mess and only agreed with Dad because it was that or divorce. So do as you preach, keep your nose in your business and keep my family out of this. Please."

Sae was surprised by the teen's venomous tone. Apparently, her parents were a sensitive spot. Fine. She would avoid the topic.

"Fair enough. We will head to Shujin tomorrow. We need to properly introduce you to the staff. In the meantime, I'll show you your room."

Said room was small and looked fairly cluttered. It was also bigger than Josie's room in Forks. A crate with her luggage had arrived earlier. The teen set to work. Cleaning the room took most of the afternoon and some of the evening, but she was satisfied with her job. She remembered her mother telling her about susuwatari, soot spirits inhabiting rooms long left unattended. Sae was surprised she had taken the trouble.

Josie didn't comment. In her mind, the woman was grey: dull, colorless and easily fading in the background, paying no mind to the world around her as it did the same. Uninteresting. " Oh your dog will arrive in a couple of days" Sae said smiling.

It would take more work to make the room truly feel like home, but this would do fortonight. Night had fallen. Josie went to sleep…

The next morning, Sae took her to Shujin Academy, in Bartlett. Principal Oliver , who repeatedly hammered that she should behave. She let it drone out. No need to tell her what she already knew.

If she wanted to live in Chicago, she would have to become as dull and grey as its people. Not an easy task, but her mother had taught her to adapt. Even if she wanted to puke. So much disinterest made her sick, as soon as she can Josie is out of this city.

Her homeroom teacher was Kira Ford ,a frail woman with a yellow shirt. She gave her her student ID and complained how bothersome it was to have her in her class. Somehow, despite the vibrant color of her shirt, Josie still sensed her sadness. It wasn't the same feeling Sae displayed. Instead, she felt like a dull knife.

"Don't worry." Sae reassured. "I'll be sure to have a serious talk with her when we get home."

Josie rolled her eyes and sighed. All three adults turned to her.

"No need for that. I know exactly what I need to do: keep my head low, look at my feet, fade in the background and mind my bloody business while the whole world moves around me, all grey and dull and lifeless. Did I miss anything? And my apologies for the attitude but your hammering was starting to get old. I already learned my lesson."

The adults tried to say something but decided against it. At least, the teen had apologized.

"Fine, but you better do what you preach."

Josie answer was to make a perfect imitation of Sae's unbothered face. Sadayo stifled a laugh.

There was an accident in the subway. This forced people to take the road and cause a traffic jam. When they reached The apartment, night was falling. Sae gave one last warning that fell on deaf ears and went for a bath. Josie went to bed… and found on her phone the mysterious app that had appeared the day before.

"A red and black eye? What is it? And what is it doing here?"

She didn't dare to touch it. The last time she had, time had stopped and she had seen a fiery demon bearing Uni's face. She didn't want a repeat.

Her dreams that night were tinted in grey.


End file.
